M & M Wood Working Co. v. National Labor Relations Board

101 F.2d 938, 4 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 748, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 4477
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 17, 1939
Docket8854
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 101 F.2d 938 (M & M Wood Working Co. v. National Labor Relations Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
M & M Wood Working Co. v. National Labor Relations Board, 101 F.2d 938, 4 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 748, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 4477 (9th Cir. 1939).

Opinions

MATHEWS, Circuit Judge.

The M and M Wood Working Company, an Oregon corporation (hereafter called the Company),1 *and Plywood & Veneer Workers’ Union, Local No. 2531, a labor organization (hereafter called Local No. 2531),2 have petitioned this court to review and set aside an order of the National Labor Relations Board dated April 1, 1938, requiring the Company to cease and desist from certain practices in which the Board found the Company had engaged and was engaging, and which the Board held were unfair labor practices, within the meaning of § 8 of the National Labor Relations Act, 49 Stat. 452, 29 U.S.C.A. § 158.

The question is whether the Board’s findings are supported by evidence.

The Board found that the Company had interfered with, restrained and coerced and, at the time of the order, was interfering with, restraining and coercing its employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in § 7 of the Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 157, and thus had engaged and was engaging in unfair labor practices, within the meaning of § 8 (1) of the Act; and that, by discrimination in regard to hire and tenure of employment, the Company had encouraged and, at the time of the order, was encouraging membership in Local No. 2531, had discouraged and was discouraging membership in Plywood & Veneer Workers’ Union, Local No. 102, a labor organization (hereafter called Local No. 102),3 *and thus had engaged and was engaging in unfair labor practices, within the meaning of § 8 (3) of the Act. These are the practices from which the Board ordered the Company to cease and desist.

Section 7 of the Act provides: “Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in concerted activities, for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.”

Section 8 of the Act provides: “It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer—

“(1) To interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section 7 [section 157 of this title],
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“(3) By discrimination in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization: Provided, That nothing in this Act [chapter], * * * or in any other statute of the United States, shall preclude an employer from making an agreement with a labor organization (not established, maintained, or assisted by any action defined in this Act [chapter] as an unfair labor practice) to require as a condition of employment membership therein, if such labor organization is the representative of the employees as provided in section 9(a) [section 159(a) of this title], in the appropriate collective bargaining unit covered by such agreement when made.”

Section 9(a) of the Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 159(a), provides: “Representatives designated or selected for the purposes of collective bargaining by the majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for such purposes, shall be the exclusive representatives of all the employees in such unit for the purposes of collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay; wages, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment * * *.”

[940]*940There is no evidence that the Company ever interfered with, restrained or coerced any employee in the exercise of any right guaranteed in § 7 of the Act. Hence, the Board’s finding that the Company had engaged and was engaging in unfair labor practices, within the meaning of § 8 (1) of the Act, is not supported by evidence.

There is no evidence that the Company ever discriminated in regard to hire or tenure of employment, except in pursuance of and in conformity with a closed shop agreement which it made with Local' No. 2531 on, or as of, May 3, 1937. Pertinent portions of the agreement were as follows:

“The parties to this agreement are the Plylock. Corporation,4 hereinafter known as the Company, and Plywood & Veneer Workers’ Union No. 2531, affiliated with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, hereinafter known as the Union.
“The Company recognizes the fact that all its employees are members of the Union. The Company recognizes the Union as representing, for the purpose of collective bargining, all of its employees except those acting as shift foreman and in the plant office and not paid on an hourly basis not at present in the Union, or any replacement of such personnel. It is the desire of the parties hereto that the employees covered by this agreement shall maintain membership in good standing in the Union. In order that this desire may be effectuated, and in order that the Union may discipline its members for the effective operation of this agreement, the Company agrees to release from its employ any person who fails or refuses to maintain membership in good standing in the Union.” * * *
“The Company agrees to give preference to members of the Union in all employment tyhich may be made available whenever a new job becomes available. Should a vacancy occur after the list of Union members has been exhausted, the Company will notify the Union and the latter shall send an employee competent and qualified to perform the work required ; it being understood that such new employee must be satisfactory to the Company. In the event that the Union is unable to furnish satisfactory, reasonably competent and qualified help then the Company shall be free to obtain workmen in any manner it sees fit.
“It is understood, however, that in the latter eventuality, such employee shall secure a temporary working card from the Union. If the Union deems such person suitable as a prospective member of the Union, such person shall within „thirty (30) days after his employment become a member of the Union. If such person is found unsuitable for Union membership the Company agrees tp release him from employment. * * * ”
“The duration of this agreement shall be from May 3rd, 1937 to March 1st, 1938. * * * ”

I

There is no finding, nor any evidence which would have warranted a finding, that the union (Local No. 2531) mentioned in the agreement was established, maintained or assisted by any action defined in the Act as an unfair labor practice. That this union was the representative of the Company’s employees, as provided in § 9 (a) of the Act, in the proper bargaining unit covered by the agreement when made, is conceded. Thus, it is seen, the agreement was in conformity with § 8 (3) of the Act and was a lawful and proper agreement.

While the agreement was in _ force ■ — from May 3, 1937, to March 1, 1938— the Company complied with it. In that way and to that extent only, it discriminated in favor of those who were, and against those who were not, members of Local No. 2531. If thereby it encouraged membership in Local No. 2531 or discouraged membership in Local No. 102, such encouragement or discouragement did not constitute an unfair labor practice, within the meaning of § 8 (3) of the Act.

The Board found .that on September 12, 1937, the union (Local No.

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Bluebook (online)
101 F.2d 938, 4 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 748, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 4477, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/m-m-wood-working-co-v-national-labor-relations-board-ca9-1939.